Luyia - Settlements

Precolonial Abaluyia villages were loosely organized around single
localized lineages (
enyumba;
pl.
tsinyumba
). Abaluyia homesteads consisted of circular compounds surrounded by
euphorbias, thorns, or clay walls. Structures within the compounds
followed a prescribed layout, although there were variations. Houses
were circular with thatched roofs. The first wife's house was
directly opposite the gate, with the houses of junior wives organized to
the left and right, according to seniority. The married sons'
houses were near the gate and were arranged according to birth order.
Because unmarried children who had reached puberty were not permitted to
sleep under the same roof as their parents, unmarried sons slept in
special houses called
chisimba
(sing,
esimba
). Girls, and sometimes younger boys, slept with classificatory
grandmothers in girls' houses (
ekogono
or
eshibinze
). The compound usually had one or more elevated granaries, and animals
were often kept in separate structures. Nowadays settlements are
organized more like neighborhoods. Mud houses are usually square and
often roofed with iron sheets. Modern block houses with tile roofs line
the major roads. Compounds are often crowded and may be laid out less
formally. They are surrounded by euphorbias, shrubs, rows of trees, or
fences. In some places, girls' houses no longer exist: girls
sleep in their mothers' kitchens, but older boys continue to
sleep in separate dwellings. Granaries are still common in the Bukusu
area but are rare in Maragoli and Banyore.

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